About Chapter 8

If you haven't gotten to chapter 8 in our August selection, Go Set A Watchman by Harper Lee, and you are planning to finish the book, look away now.

Even if you haven't gotten there, it is hard to believe you have not heard the hoopla about Atticus Finch's racism. Since many of us have held him up as an example of goodness for all these years, this, more than any other thing written about the book, has offended us. How can it be? I suppose we need to ask the editor, but it doesn't matter, since it appears that is how he was originally written.

Of course, even Scout can't believe it. She accidentally finds a reference in his papers to "The Black Plague," and she dismisses it as not belonging to her father. But Alexandra knows the pamphlet and doesn't mind it so much; after all, Atticus brought it back from the White Citizen's meeting. Still not believing what she is hearing, Scout (or Jean Louise) goes to the courtroom in town to find her father. What she finds is disturbing to her and to this reader. Does she know her father at all? Do we? She is shamed and sad, and so am I. I am sorry this first draft of what would become one of my favorite books has surfaced.

What do you think about it? I can't WAIT to hear.

I'll hope to see you at one of our two Face to Face meetings on August 11 at 2pm or 6pm and we can all have our say.